Industry Theatre Newsroom Page 69

Theatre Communications Group has announced the launch of THRIVE!, a regranting program to provide unrestricted funds and professional development and technical assistance for U.S.-based Black Theatres, Indigenous Theatres, and all Theatres of Color.

As part of their monthly series of informational panels, Theater Resources Unlimited presents Dust off Your Dreams: The Long-Awaited Return of Our Favorite Festivals on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 via Zoom.

National New Play Network will host its second fully virtual Annual Conference this Friday June 11 and Saturday June 12. The event - free and open to the public - is hosted on the Hopin event platform.

This Global Open Call is part of CSA’s Commitment to Equity in Entertainment in Casting Initiative, a series of conversations, training events and opportunities designed to effect concrete change in how actors in historically underrepresented communities are afforded access to job opportunities.

Today, Monica Hammond announced the launch of Big Leap Brands, a marketing consulting firm catering to entertainment brands and entrepreneurs.

After memorizing entire Gallagher comedy routines as a kid in West Virginia, Trevor Dion Nicholas and his family always loved musical theater. His parents encouraged him to follow his passion and put him into improv and theater classes. Being a 'big black kid in West Virginia', the expectations put upon him were that he'd focus on sports.

From July 21-25, the American Alliance for Theatre & Education will virtually host its 34th annual National Conference 2021. Although the event is entirely virtual, its roots are in Washington, DC and gives inspiration to the themes of Landmarks and Monuments.

With the UK only a few weeks away from their most recently proposed date of full capacity in theatres, a new variant has put those plans into limbo - and producers aren't happy about it. Stateside, more theatres continue to announce their season plans, and things are beginning to look a lot more solid than they did even two months ago.

Tony Award-winning theatre producer Daryl Roth and playwright Theresa Rebeck (both Co-Chairs of the LPTW Advisory Council) will introduce the 2021 Theatre Women Awards Virtual Gala and speak about their hopes for the future of the industry, as live theatre returns. The event will be presented virtually by the League of Professional Theatre Women on Monday, June 7 at 7pm. 

The Dramatists Guild of America has announced they will present the 2021 Horton Foote Playwriting Award to five amazing playwrights – Carla Ching, Kia Corthron, Aleshea Harris, Donja R. Love, and Mfoniso Udofia - at the Dramatists Guild’s awards presentations later this summer. 

On June 5th, Master Teacher Richard Lawson will be joined for a second time by award winning Casting Director Kim Coleman. Twenty actors will be given the opportunity to have their self-tape auditions assessed and redirected by Mr. Lawson and Ms. Coleman. Classes take place Saturday mornings at 10 AM PST via Zoom.

Broadway & Beyond: Access for Stage Managers of Color has recently updated its website to include a contact database for stage managers of color who are open to work and a job postings section. Broadway & Beyond is committed to continuing to develop pathways for aspiring and mid-career stage managers of color to enter or achieve the next level of success within the professional theatre industry. With these new functions, the Broadway & Beyond website is an invaluable, free resource for making those connections.

Uproar Theatrics, a new digital theatrical licensing company, has been created to transform how regional, school, stock, and amateur groups license plays and musicals.  Uproar Theatrics is expanding the theatrical pipeline to bring thrilling, fresh theatre to creators and audiences across America.

The Theatre Podcast sat down with Jackie Cox to talk about the inspiration for her podcast 'It Do Take Nerd', emphasizing the importance of representation and celebrating the queer themes that are found in a lot of 'nerdy things'.

The Drama League announced today three-time Tony Award-winning producer, CEO, and Founder of BroadwayHD Bonnie Comley will become the organization's new Board President. Comley’s unique skill set has proved invaluable to The Drama League over the course of the last 16 months as the organization’s programming is abundant with digital capture.

National Independent Venue Association’s has released a statement on the first Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Approvals.

Co-founders T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald “Reggie” Van Lee, along with Board Members Aaliytha Stevens and Naila McKenzie, announced today that applications are being accepted for their paid BTC Fellowship Program.

Actors’ Equity Association has released a statement in response to President Joe Biden proposing a new National Endowment for the Arts budget of $201 million. The proposed increase of $33.5 million is a record-high for the agency and an important step towards fully funding the NEA at $1 per capita, or $331 million. 

Selected participants will take part in intimate virtual seminars this fall to learn about company, general and stage management, as well as other key aspects of the theatre industry. In January 2022, with Broadway back in full swing, the cohort will spend four days in New York City meeting with experienced theatre professionals and industry leaders as part of the intensive, at no personal cost to the cohort members.

As the calendar turns to June, we’re one step closer to Broadway reopening, fewer audience restrictions in the UK, and more theatre companies taking steps toward performing in the great outdoors. All of these are great signs for the industry, and increased arts funding are yet another sign that the days are starting to get a bit brighter.

The Episcopal Actors' Guild has announced that the Barbour Playwrights Award is back! This festival celebrating new work for the theatre will return in June 2021 and feature virtual readings of three new plays nominated by this year's partnering company, Leviathan Lab.

Robert L. Lynch has agreed to retire as President and Chief Executive of Americans For the Arts, effective immediately.

The Small Business Administration has stated that notices of approved relief money from the $16 billion Save Our Stages act have began to be sent to independent venues on Wednesday morning.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat will host nine weeklong in-person residencies for 23 musical theatre writers of nine new musicals between June 27 and August 29.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat will host nine weeklong in-person residencies for 23 musical theatre writers of nine new musicals between June 27 and August 29.  Writers include Tony-nominee Beth Malone, Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls; Jonathan Larson winners Avi Amon, Sara Cooper, Ty Defoe, and Anna Jacobs and more.